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l. W. STOREY. sum COUPLING.

AIPUQATION FILED MAR, 20. I919.

1,308,307. Patented Juiy 1, 1919.

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Specification oflettersfiatent Appueafimrniea Manned, 1919. serm uol 283 .70

' To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jenn STOREY, a citizen of the United Statesyresiding at Attalla, in the country of Etowah and Stateo'f Alabama, have invented a new-and useful Shaft-Coupling, of which the followingis a specifieation. i i i i This invention relates to improvements'in shaft couplers for vehicles, the object of the invention being to provide an improved ccouiug position by means of a spring-controlled trigger which may be released bythe pressure of the thumb andfinger of the. operator respectively upon the trigger and spring.

A further obJect ofthe lnvention 1s the provision of means which serves to i secure the coupling members on the iaxle of the vehicle and at thesame time lockitheshaft to the coupling members; i

With these and other objects "inxview, which will appear as the description sproceeds, the invention consists inthe novel features of construction and icombination of parts all of which will be :more fully described hereinafter-andfinally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing acompanying andiforming part of'this specification,

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved shaft coupler, showingithe sameapplied to the axle of a vehicle, the axle being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side View showing the=icoupler with the trigger drawn .forwardatoirelease the shaft; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the cou- The same characters of reference designate the same parts in the dilferent figures of the drawing.

In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, 2 designates the lower coupling mmber and 3 the upper couplinr mem her. The member 2, which may be termed the base member, is formed from a comparatively heavy piece of metal and is provided adjacent its rear end withfa crosswisefe xi tending recess 4= adapted to be seated on the upper-side of the axle of a vehicle. This member 2 is also .bifurcated at its rear end to provide a pairof perforatediears 5. The

"upperwm'ember is iformed adjiacent its 1 rear Patented Julyl, 1919.

. UNITED STATES PATENTOFFIOE' end so as to rovide a bow shaped portion 6 i registering with the recess 4 inf the base member 12, "this bo'wl shaped portlonbeing adapted l to fit over and tightly engage the i wooden'pi'ece thatis usually.placedxon the:

upper side of the axle, thereby to i secure" such wooden-piece and theaxle betweenthe a base iinember and the ibowi-shaped portion G of! the upper member. This member 3 1s also:

provided at its rear end, vadjacent tosaid bow shaped portion, with a perforated lug 7 adaptedto fitilbetween the ears 5 carried by tl1e=base member 2 and pivoted thereto by means ofifa pivotrpin Spassingthrbugh the nerforations of said lug andfears, whereby hIHg'GGQIIIIQGtJOH between the members Qand otally securing the end of a shaft. Forwthis purpose themembers 2 and 3 are provided with mating portions so formed that when locked together 1n the mannerhereinafter 3 is obtained, the cornersof the lugfidaeing .1

rounded to permit. the member 3 'to be (swung upwardly onits pivot. i

Forward of the i recess 4t; and bow-shaped portion-6, the members2 and 3 are adapted towliein close contact andiattheir forward ends to cooperate to form a 1 means for I piv against the end i of such hook-shaped portion i and formed so taste complete the ci rcular opening when the members are brought together. 1 i

For the purpose of securelyi locltiligktlie members 12 and 3 -together,1 I. have iprovided a trigger latch, shown in the present in- 'thickness of the member 3 at this point,

whereby the upper wall of said notch is stance as comprising a triggerii peasant 12 in a slot passing through the base member 2 a short distance back of the hook-shaped I swinging movement on its pivot; The baseadapted to fit over the upper side of the member 3 and thereby hold the same against member 2 is cut away or made thinner forward of the recess 4, and the trigger is shown as extending below the lower side of said base member. 'In the present instance spring means is provided for holding the trigger 11 in locking position, and as herein shown such spring means comprises a flat sprin g'15' secured by means of arivet to the under side of the thicker portion of the member 2, said member being slightly recessed for the reception of the spring thereby to prevent shifting thereof, and this spring extends forwardly below the member 2, and at the point where it underlies the end of the trigger the spring is bent or ofi'set, as shown at 16, so as to contact with such trigger and exert pressure thereon thereby to force the lower end of. thez'trigger baekwardly, the trigger being rounded at-its lower end to assist such action, whereby the notched upper end of the trigger. is held in locking engagement with the member 3.

In theoperation of the device, the mem bers 2 and 3 are placed over the axle with the under side of the axle resting in the recess 4 and the wooden piece in the bowshaped portion 6. The usual loop 17 carried by the end of the shaft is then placed in the open hook-shaped end of the mem her 2 and the member 3 pressed downward on the base member 2, with the upper end of the trigger projecting through the slot 13, whereupon the spring will act on the lowerend of thetrigger and thereby force the notch 14- into engagement with the upper member 3 in a manner which will be readily understood, whereby the member 8 is securely locked against swinging on its pivot. When it is desired to unlock the members 2 and 3 for changing the shafts or for any other purpose, all that is necessary is for the'operator to place his thumb on the free end of the spring 15 and exert a slight downward pressure thereon, at the same time placing his finger back of the trigger and pulling it forward in the same manner as the trigger of a gun, whereupon the trigger will release the upper member 3 and the latter may be swung on its pivot so as to "release not only the shaft, but also the axle if for any reason it is desired to remove the copies of this patent may be obtained for coupler from the axle. It will thus be seen that I have provided a comparatively simple device by means of which the same means which secures the coupler to the axle also secures the shaft to the coupler, and which means can be released by the mere pulling of a trigger.

While I have described in detail the structure herein illustrated, it is to be understood that I do not thereby limit my invention to the precise features of construction shown, as I am awar that many mechanical changes may be .made without departing from. the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device of the class described, comprising a pair of members adapted to be secured to a vehicle axle and having cooperating means for pivotally securing the shaft of a vehicle, and a single spring-actuated means for securing said members to the vehicle axle and the shaft to said members.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a pair of members pivotally secured together and adapted to clamp a vehicle axle between them, said members having cooperating means for pivotally securing the shaft of a vehicle, and a spririg-controlled trigger for locking said members in axle. and shaft engaging position.

A device of the class described, comprising a member adapted to underlie a vehicle axle, a member pivoted to said first. member and adapted to overlie the axle, the ends of said members opposite said pivotal connection being formed to pivotally secure between them the end of a vehicle shaft, a trigger pivotally mounted in one of said members and having means for engaging the other of said members thereby to secure the members in shaft-locking position, and a spring secured to one of said members and adapted to retain said trigger in its locking position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. STOREY.

Witnesses:

LOUISE SMITH, STEPHEN CULBERT, Jr.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

